The Adventures Of Reddy Fox

THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

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THE ADVENTURES OE
REDDY FOX

- BT ■

THORNTON W. BURGESS

Author of “Old Motlier West Wind,”

“Mother West Wind’s Children,” etc.

BOSTON

LITTLE, BROm AND COMPANY
1919

BOOKS BY

THORNTON W. BURGESS

BEDTIME STORY-BOOKS

I. The Adtosttubes op Eebdt Fox

3. The AovEiTTuttEa op JoHKmr Chuck

3. The Adventures op Peter Cottontaii.

4. The Adventures op Unc’ Biei-y Possum

5. The Adventuhes op Mr. Mocker

6. The Adventures, op Jerry Muskrat

7. The Adventuresop Danny Meadow Mouse

8. The Adventures op Grandfather Frog

9. The Adventures op CecattereEj the Red

Squirrel

10. The Adventures op Sammy Jay

II. The Adventures of Buster Bear

13. The Adventures op Old Mr. Toao

13. The Adventures op Prickly Porky

14. The Adi’entures op Old Man Coyote

15. The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver

16. The Aditentures op Poor Mrs. Quack

17. The Adventures op Bobby Coon

18. The Adventures op Jimmy Skunk

19. The Adventures op Bob White

30 . The Adventures of Ol’ Mr. Buzzard

OLD MOTHER WEST WIND SERIES

1. Old Mother West Wind
3. Mother West Wind’s Children

3. Mother West Wind’s Animal

Friends

4. ' Mother West Wind’s Neighbors

5. Mother West Wind’s “Why” Stories

6. Mother West Wind’s “How” Stories

7. Mother West Wind’s “When” Stories

8. Mother West Wind’s “Where” Stories

Copyriff^t

'Br lATViXt Baowjr, akd CoMPASft.
All rights reserved

CONTENTS

OHAPTita ' yAaa

. I, Geannt Fox Gives Reddy a Scare . 1

II. Grajjny Shows Reddy a Trick . 5

III. Bowser mE Hoxjih) Isn’t Fooled . 9

IV. Reddy Fox Grows Bou> . . .14

V. Reddy Grows Careiess . . . 18

VI. Deiimmer the Woodpecker Drums

IN Vain ■ 23

VII. Too Late Reddy Fox Hears . . 27

VIII. Granny Fox Takes Care op Reddy 32

IX. Peter Rabbit Hears the News . 37

X. Poor Reddy Fox] 42

XI. Granny Fox Returns . . . 46

XII. The Lost Chicken . ... . 60

XIII. Granny Fox Calls Jimmy Skunk

Names . . . . . . . 55

XIV. Granny Fox Finds What Became of

THE CmCKEN . . . . , 59

XV. Reddy Fox Has a Visitor . . 63

XVI. Unc’ Billy Possum Visits the Smtu-

JNG Pool . . . , . . 68

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

XVII.

XVIIL

XIX.

XX.

XXI.

XXII.
XXIII.
XXIV.

XXV. .

XXVI.

Faemer Brown’s Boy is Deter-
mined . . . • • •

The Hunt for Reddy Fox
Unc’ Billy Possum Gives Warning
Old Granny Fox Makes a Mistaicb
Reddy Fox Disobeys ....
Ol’ Mistah Buzzard’s Keen Sight .
Granny Fox Has a Terrible Scare .
Granny and Reddy Have to Move
Peter Rabbit Makes a Discovery .
Farmer Brown’s Boy Works for
Nothing . . ...

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

There was, Farmer Brown’s boy, sure

ENOUGH . . , . , . Frontispiece

"For SHAME, Reddy Fox!” said she.

“ What are you afraid op? ” . . page 3

Peter Rabbit knew then that Reddy

_^WAS NOT PRETENDING .... ‘.‘44

" What are you doing over here? ”

CALLED Little Joe Otter . . "69

Jerry Muskrat told Grandfather Frog " 85

" Do, do tell me what you saw, Mistah

Buzzard!” begged Gil\nny Fox . " 101

fuir

THE ADVENTURES OF
REDDY FOX

I

GRANNY FOX GIVES REDDY A SCARE

R eddy fox lived with Granny
Fox. You see Reddy was one
of a large family, so large that
Mother Fox had hard work to feed so
many hungry little mouths and so she
had let Reddy go to live with old Granny
Fox. Granny Fox was the wisest, sly-
est, smartest fox in all the country
'round, and now that Reddy had grown
so big, she thought it about time that
he began to learn the things that every
fox should laiow. So every day she

2 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

took him hunting with her and taught
him all the things that she had learned
about hunting: about how to steal
Farmer Brown’s chickens without awa-
kening Bowser the Hound, and all about
the thousand and one ways of fooling
a dog which she had learned.

This morning Granny Fox had taken
Reddy across the Green Meadows, up
through the Green Forest and over to
the railroad track. Reddy had never
been there before and he didn’t Imow
just what to make of it. Granny trotted
ahead until they came to a long bridge.
Then she stopped.

I Come here, Reddy, and look down,”
she commanded.

I Reddy did as he was told, but a glance
down made him giddy, so giddy that
he nearly fell. Granny Fox grinned.

“ Come across,” said she, and ran
lightly across to the other side.

GRANNY GIVES REDDY A SCARE 3

But Reddy Fox was afraid. Yes, Sir,
he was afraid to take one step on the
long bridge. He was afraid that he
would fall through into the water or on
to the cruel rocks below. Granny Fox
ran back to where Reddy sat.

“ For shame, Reddy Fox! said she.

'Wliat are you afraid of? Just don^t
look down and you will be safe enough.
Now come along over with me.”

But Reddy Fox hung back and begged
to go home and whimpered. Suddenly
Granny Fox sprang to her feet, as if in
great fright. “ Bowser the Hound!
Come, Reddy, come! ” she cried, and
started across the bridge as fast as she
could go.

Reddy didn’t stop to look or to think.
His one idea was to get away from Bowser
the Hound. Wait, Granny! Wait! ” he
cried, and started after her as fast as he
could run. He was in the middle of the

4 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

bridge before he remembered it at all.
Wlien he was at last safely across, it was
to find old Granny Fox sitting down
laughing at him. Then for the first time
Reddy looked behind him to see where
Bowser the Hound might be. He was
nowhere to be seen. Could he have
fallen off the bridge?

Where is Bowser the Hound? ” cried
Reddy.

Home in Farmer Brown’s dooryard,”
replied Granny Fox dryly.

Reddy stared at her for a minute.
Then he began to understand that
Granny Fox had simply scared him into
running across the bridge. Reddy felt
very cheap, very cheap indeed.

Now we’ll run back again,” said
Granny Fox.

And this time Reddy did.

GKANNT SHOWS EEDDY A TRICK

E very day Graimy Fox led Reddy
Fox over to the long railroad
bridge and made him run back and
forth across it until he had no fear of it
whatever. At first it had made him dizzy,
but now he could run across at the top
of his speed and not mind it in the least.

“ I don’t see what good it does to be
able to run across a bridge; any one
can do that! ” exclaimed Reddy one
day.

Granny Fox smiled. Do you re-
member the first time you tried to do
it? ” she asked.

Reddv hung his head. Of course he

6 'ADVENTOBES of eeddy fox

remembered — remembered that Granny
had had to scare him into crossing tha ■

first time. _

Suddenly Granny Fox lifted her head.

“ Hark! ” she exclaimed.

Eeddy pricked up his shai-p, pomted
ears. Way off back, in the direction
from which they had come, they heard
the baying of a dog. It w^n’t the
voice of Bowser the Hound but of a
younger dog. Granny listened for a
few minutes. The voice of the dog grew

louder as it drew nearer.

“ He certainly is foUowing our track,
said Granny Fox. “Now, Eeddy, you
run across the bridge and watch from
the top of the little hffl over Hiere.
Perhaps I can show you a trick that will
teach you why I have made you learn
to Tun across tlie bridge.”

Eeddy trotted across the long bridge
and up to the top of the hill, as Granny

GRANNY SHOWS REDDY A TRICK 7

had told him to. Then he sat down to
watch. Granny trotted out in the middle
of a field and sat down. Pretty soon
a young hound broke out of the bushes,
his nose in Granny^s track. Then he
looked up and saw her, and his voice
grew still more savage and eager. Granny
Fox started to run as soon as she was
sure that the hound had seen her, but she
did not run very fast. Reddy did not
know what to make of it, for Granny
seemed to be simply playing with the
hound and not really trying to get away
from him at aU. Pretty soon Reddy
heard another sound. It was a long, low
rumble. Then there was a distant whistle.
It was a train.

Granny heard it, too. As she ran, she
began to work back towards the long
bridge. The train was in sight now.
Suddenly Granny Fox started across
the bridge so fast that she looked like

8 ADVENTUllES OF EEDDY FOX

a little red streak. The dog was close
at her heels when she started and he was
so eager to catch her that he didn’t see
either the bridge or the train. But he
couldn’t begin to run as fast as Granny
Fox. Oh; my, no! When she had reached
the other side, he wasn’t half way across
and right behind him, whistling for
him to get out of the way, was the train.

The hound gave one frightened yelp
and then he did the only thing he could
do; he leaped down, down into the swift
water below, and the last Beddy saw
of him he was frantically trying to swim
ashore.

“ Now you know why I wanted you to
learn to cross a bridge; it’s a very nice
way of getting rid of dogs,” said Granny
Fox, as she climbed up beside Reddy.

BOWSER THE HOUND ISN’t FOOLED

R eddy fox had been taught
so much by Granny Fox that he
began to feel very wise and very
important, Eeddy is naturally smart
and he had been very quick to learn
the tricks that old Granny Fox had taught
him. But Reddy Fox is a boaster.
Every day he swaggered about on the
Green Meadows and bragged of how
smart he was. Blacky the Crow grew
tired of Reddy’s boasting.

If you’re so smart, what is the reason
you always keep out of sight of Bowser the
Flound? ” asked Blacky. For my part,
I don’t believe that you are smart enough
to fool him.”

10 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

A lot of little meadow people heard
Blacky say this, and Reddy knew it.
He also knew that if he didn’t prove
Blacky in the wrong he would be laughed
at forever after. Suddenly he remem-
bered the trick that Granny Fox had
played on the young hound at the rail-
road bridge. 'i Why not play the same
trick on Bowser and invite Blacky the
Crow to see him do it? He would.

“ If you will be over at the railroad
bridge when the train comes this after-
noon, m show you how easy it is to fool
Bowser the Hound,” said Reddy.

Blacky agreed to be there and Reddy
started off to find out where Bowser
was. Blacky told every one he met how
Reddy Fox had promised to fool Bowser
the Hound, and every time he told it he
chuckled as if he thought it the best
joke ever.

f Blacky the Crow was on hand promptly

f

THE HOUND ISN'T FOOLED 11

that afternoon and with him came his
cousin, Sammy Jay. Presently they
saw Reddy Fox hurrying across the
fields, and behind him in full cry came
Bowser the Hound. Just as old Granny
Fox had done with the young hound,
Reddy allowed Bowser to get very near
him and then, as the train came roaring
along, he raced across the long bridge
just ahead of it. He had thought that
Bowser would be so intent on catching
him that he would not notice the train
until he was on the bridge and it was too
late, as had been the case with the young
hound. Then Bowser would have to
jump down into the swift river or be run
over.

1 As soon as Reddy was across the
bridge, he jumped off the track and
turned to see what would happen to
Bowser the Hound. The train was
half way across the bridge, but Bowser

I .

I

h '■ ' ■ ' ' ■

t ■ '

12 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

was nowhere to be seen. He must have
jumped already. Reddy sat down
and grinned in the most self-satisfied
way.

The long train roared past, and Reddy
closed his eyes to shut out the dust and
smoke. When he opened them again,
he looked right into the wide-open
mouth of Bowser the Hound, who was
not ten feet away.

“ Did you think you could fool me
with that old trick? ’’ roared Bowser.

Reddy didn’t stop to make reply; he
just started off at the top of his speed, a
badly frightened little fox.

You see Bowser the Hound knew all
about that trick and he had just waited
until the train had passed and then had
run across the bridge right behind it.

And as Reddy Fox, out of breath and
tired, ran to seek the aid of Granny Fox
in getting rid of Bowser the Hound, he

13

THE HOUND ISN’T FOOLED

heard a sound that made him grind his
teeth.

Haw, haw, haw! How smart we

are!

It was Blacky the Crow.

w

REDDY FOX GROWS BOLD

R eddy fox was growing bold.
Everybody said so, and wliat
everybody says must be so.
Reddy Fox had always been very sly and
not bold at all. The truth is Reddy
Fox had so many times fooled Bowser
the Hound and Farmer Brown’s boy,
that he had begun to think himseK very
smart indeed. He had really fooled him-
self. Yes, Sir, Reddy Fox had fooled
himself. He thought himself so smart
that nobody could fool him.

Now it is one of the worst habits in
the world to think too much of one’s self.
And Reddy Fox had the habit. Oh, my.

REDDY FOX GROWS BOLD

15

yes! Reddy Fox certainly did have the
habit! When any one mentioned Bowser
the Hound, Reddy would turn up his
nose and say: ^^Pooh! IPs the easiest
thing in the world to fool Mm.”

You see, he had forgotten aU about
the time Bowser had fooled him at the
railroad bridge.

Whenever Reddy saw Farmer Brown’s
boy he would say with the greatest
scorn: “ Who’s afraid of him? Not I! ”

So as Reddy Fox thought more and
more of his own smartness, he grew
bolder and bolder. Almost every night
he visited Farmer Brown’s hen-yard.
Farmer Brown set traps ah around the
yard, but Pv^eddy always found them
and kept out of them. It got so that
Unc’ Billy Possum and Jimmy Skunk
didn’t dare go to the hen-house for eggs
any more, for fear that they would get
into one of the traps set for Reddy

16 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Fox. Of course they missed those fresh
eggs and of course they blamed Reddy
Fox.

“Never mind,” said Jimmy Skunk,
scowling down on the Green Meadows
where Reddy Fox was taking a sun-bath,
“ Farmer Brown’s boy will get him yet!
I hope he does! ” Jimmy said this a
little spitefully and just as if he really
meant it.

Now when people think that they are
very, very smart, they like to show off.
You know it isn’t any fun at all to feel
smart unless others can see how smart
you are. So Reddy Fox, just to show off,
grew very bold, very bold indeed, tie
actually went up to Farmer Brown’s
hen-yard in broad daylight, and almost
under the nose of Bowser the Hound he
caught the pet chicken of Farmer Brown’s
boy.

or Mistah Buzzard, sailing overhead

REDDY FOX GROWS BOLD 17

high up in the blue, blue sky, saw Reddy
Fox and shook his bald head.

Ah see Trouble on the way;

Yes, Ah do! Yes, Ah do!

Hope it ain’t a gwine to stay;

Yes, Ah do! Yes, Ah do!
Trouble am a spry oF man ;

Bound to find yo’ if he can;

If he finds yo’ bound to stick.
When Ah sees him, Ah runs quick!
Yes, Ah do! Yes, Ah do! ”

But Reddy Fox thought himseK so
smart that it seemed as if he really was
hunting for OF Mr. Trouble. And when
he caught the pet chicken of Farmer
Brown’s boy OF Mr. Trouble was right
at his heels.

V

REDDY GROWS CARELESS

O U MISTAH BUZZARD was
riglit. Trouble was right at tho
heels of Reddy Fox, although
Reddy wouldn't have believed it if he
had been told. He had stolen that
plump pet chicken of Farmer Brown’s
boy for no reason under the sun but to
show off. He wanted every one to know
how bold he was. He thought himself
so smart that he could do just exactly
what he pleased and no one could stop
him. He liked to strut around through
the Green Forest and over the Green
Meadows and brag about what he had
done and what he could do.

REDDY GROWS CARELESS

19

Now people who brag and boast and
who like to show off are almost sure to
come to grief. And when they do, very
few people are sorry for them. None of
the little meadow and forest people
; liked Eeddy Fox, an3rway, and they were

getting so tired of his boasting that they
just ached to see him get into trouble.
Yes, Sir, they just ached to see Eeddy
get into trouble.

1 1 Peter Eabbit, happy-go-lucky Peter

Eabbit, shook his head gravely when he
heard how Eeddy had stolen that pet
chicken of Farmer Brown’s boy, and
was boasting about it to every one he
1 met.

I '' Eeddy Fox is getting so puffed up

I that pretty soon he won’t be able to see

his own feet,” said Peter Eabbit.

I Weil, what if he doesn’t? ” demanded

I Jimmy Skunk.

I Peter looked at Jimmy in disgust.

•

' ' ' ' '

20 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

“ He comes to grief, however fleet,

Who doesn’t watch his flying feet.

‘'Jimmy Skunk, if you didn’t have
that little bag of scent that everybody is
afraid of, you would be a lot more careful
where you step,” replied Peter. “ If
Reddy doesn’t watch out some day, he’ll
step right into a trap.”

Jimmy Skxmk chuclded. “ I wish he
would! ” said he.

Now when Farmer Brown’s boy heard
about the boldness of Reddy Fox, he
shut his mouth tight in a way that was
unpleasant to see and reached for his
gun. “ I can’t afford to raise chickens
to feed foxes! ” said he. Then he whis-
tled for Bowser the Hound and together
they started out. It wasn’t long before
Bowser found Reddy’s tracks.

“ Bow, wow, wow, wow! ” roared Bow-
ser the Hound.

Reddy Fox, taking a nap on the edge

EEDDY GROWS CARELESS 21

of the Green Forest, heard BowseFs big,
deep voice. He pricked up his ears,
then he grinned. I feel just like a
good run to-day, said he, and trotted
off along the Crooked Little Path down
the hill.

Now this was a beautiful summer day
and Beddy knew that in summer men
and boys seldom hunt foxes. “It’s
only Bowser the Hound,” thought Beddy,
“ and when I’ve had a good run, I’ll
play a trick on him so that he wiU lose
my track.” So Beddy didn’t use his
eyes as he should have done. You see
he thought himself so smart that he had
grown careless. Yes, Sir, Beddy Fox had
grown careless. He kept looking back
to see where Bowser the Hound was,
but didn’t look around to make sure that
ao other danger was near.

or Mistah Buzzard, sailing ’round and
’round, way up in the blue, blue sky,

22 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

could see everything going on down below.
He could see Reddy Fox running along
the edge of the Green Forest and every
few minutes stopping to chuclde and
listen to Bowser the Hound trying to
pick out the trail Reddy had made so
hard to follow by his twists and turns.
And he saw something else, did OF
Mistah Buzzard, It looked to him very
much like the barrel of a gun sticking
out from behind an old tree just ahead
of Reddy.

‘‘Ah reckon iFs jes^ like Ah said:
Reddy Fox is gwine to meet trouble
right smart soon,’^ muttered OF Mistah
Buzzard.

VI

DEUMMjER the woodpecker drums

IN VAIN

O NCE upon a time, before he had
grown to think himself so very,
very smart, Reddy Fox would
never, never have thought of running
without watching out in every direction.
He would have seen that thing that
looked like the barrel of a gun sticking out
from behind the old tree towards which
he was running, and he would have been
very suspicious, very suspicious indeed.
But now all Reddy could think of was
what a splendid chance he had to show
all the little meadow and forest people
what a bold, smart fellow he was.

So once more Reddy sat down and

24 ADVENTUEES OF EEDDY FOX

waited until Bowser the Hound was al-
most up to him. Just then Drummer the
Woodpecker began to make a tremendous
noisG — rat-a-tat-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat”
tat, rat-a4at-tat-tat! Now everybody
who heard that rat-a-tat-tat-tat Imew
that it was a danger signal. Drummer the
Woodpecker never drums just that way
for pleasure. But Reddy Fox paid no
attention to it. He didn’t notice it at

all. You see he was so full of the idea
of his own smartness that he didn’t
have room for anything else.

“Stupid thing!” said Drummer the
Woodpecker to himself. I don’t know
what I am trying to warn him for, any-^
w^ay. The Green Meadows and the Green
Forest would be better off withou t him,
a lot better off! Nobody likes him. He’s
a dreadful buHy and is all the time trying
to catch or scare to death those who are
smaller than he. Still, he is so hand-

THE WOODPECKER DRUMS IN VAIN 25

1- I

some!” Drummer cocked his head on
one side and looked over at Reddy Fox.

Reddy was laughing to see how hard
Bowser the Hound was working to un-
tangle Reddy’s mixed-up trail.

Yes, Sir, he certainly is handsome,”
said Drummer once more.

Then he looked down at the foot of
the old tree on which he was sitting and
what he saw caused Drummer to make
up his mind. “ I surely would miss
seeing that beautiful red coat of his!
I surely would! ” he muttered. “ If
he doesn’t hear and heed now, it won’t
be my fault! ”

Then Drummer the Woodpecker began
such a furious rat-a-tat-tat on the trunk
of the old tree that it rang through the
Green Forest and out across the Green
Meadows almost to the Purple Hills.

Down at the foot of the tree a freckled
face on Wich there was a black scowl

26 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX
looked up. It was the face of Farmer
Brown’s boy.

“ What ails that pesky woodpecker? ”
he muttered. ‘‘ If he doesn’t keep stillji
he’ll scare that fox! ”

He shook a fist at Drummer, but
Drummer didn’t appear to notice. He
kept right on, rat-a-tat-tat-tat, rat-a-
tat"tat~tat, rat-a-tat-tat-tat!

TOO LATE REDDY POX HEARS

D rummer the wood-
pecker was pounding out his
danger signal so fast and so
hard that his red head flew back and
forth almost too fast to see. Rat-a-tat-
tat-a-tat-tat, beat Drummer on the old
tree trunk on the edge of the Green
Forest. When he stopped for breath,
he looked down into the scowling face
of Farmer Brown's boy, who was "hiding
behind the old tree trunk.

Drummer didn't like the looks of that
scowl, not a bit. And he didn't like the
looks of the gun which Farmer Brown’s
boy had. He knew that Farmer Brown's

28 ADVENTUEES OF EEDDY FOX

boy was hiding there to shoot Reddy
Fox, but Drummer was beginning to be
afraid that Farmer Brown’s boy might
guess what all that drumming meant —■
that it was a warning to Reddy Fox.
And if Farmer Brown’s boy did guess
that, why —why— anyway, on the other
side of the tree there was a better place
to drum. So Drummer the Woodpecker
crept around to the other side of the
tree and in a minute was drumming
harder than ever. Whenever he stopped
for breath, he looked out over the Green
Meadows to see if Reddy Fox had heard
his warning.

But if Reddy had heard, he hadn’t

heeded. Just to show off before aU the

little meadow and forest people, Reddy
had waited untn Bowser the Hound had
almost reached him. Then, with a saucy
flirt of his tail, Reddy Fox started to
show how fast he could run, and that

TOO LATE REDDY FOX HEARS 29

is very fast indeed. It made Bowser
the Hound seem very slow, as, with his
nose to the ground, he came racing after
Reddy, making a tremendous noise with
his great voice.

Now Reddy Fox had grown as care-
less as he had grown bold. ’ Instead of
looking sharply ahead, he looked this
way and that way to see who was watch-
ing and admiring him. So he took no
note of where he was going and started
straight for the old tree trunk on which
Drummer the Woodpecker was pounding
out his warning of danger.

Now Reddy Fox has sharp eyes and
very quick ears. My, my, indeed he has!
But just now Reddy was as deaf as if
he had cotton stuffed in his ears. He was
chuckling to himself to think how he was
going to fool Bowser the Hound and
how smart every one would think him,
when, all of a sudden, he heard the

30 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

rat-a-tat-tat-a4at-tat of Drummer tlie
W^oodpecker and. knew that that meant
danger.”

For just a little wee second it seemed
to Reddy Fox that his heart stopped
beating. He couldn’t stop running, for
he had let Bowser the Hound get too
close for that. Reddy’s sharp eyes saw
Drummer the Woodpecker near the top
of the old tree trunk and noticed that
Drummer seemed to be looking at some-
thing down below. Reddy Fox gave
one quick look at the foot of the old
tree trunk and saw a gun pointed at
him and behind the gun the freckled
face of Farmer Brown’s boy. Reddy
Fox gave a little gasp of fright and turned
so suddenly that he almost fell flat.
Then he began to run as never pn his
life had he run before. It seemed as
though his flying feet hardly touched the
grass. His eyes were popping out with

TOO LATE BEDDY FOX HEARS 31

fright as with every jump he tried to run
just a wee bit faster.

Bang! Bang! Two flashes of fire and
two puffs of smoke darted from behind
the old tree trunk. Drummer the Wood-
pecker gave a frightened scream and
flew deep into the Green Forest. Peter
•Rabbit flattened himself under a friendly
bramble bush. Johnny Chuck dove head
first down his doorway.

Reddy Fox gave a yelp, a shrill little
yelp of pain, and suddenly began to go
lame. But Farmer Brown’s boy didn’t
know that. He thought he had missed,
and he growled to himself:

I’ll get that fox yet for stealing my
pet chicken! ”

VIII

GRANNY FOX TAKES CARE OF REDDY

R eddy fox was so sore and
lame that he could hardly hobble.
He had had the hardest kind
of work to get far enough ahead of
Bowser the Hound to mix his trail up
so that Bowser couldn't foUow it. Then
he had limped home, big tears running
down his nose, although he tried hard
not to cry. ‘‘ Oh! Oh! Oh! " moaned
Reddy Fox, as he crept in at the doorway
of his home.

What’s the matter now? " snapped
old Granny Fox, who had just waked
up from a sun-nap.

I — I’ve got hurt,” said Reddy Fox,
and began to cry harder.

GfiANNY TAKES CARE OF REDDY 33

Granny Fox looked at Reddy skarply.
^^What have you been doing now —
tearing your clothes on a barbed-wire
fence or trying to crawl through a bull-
briar thicket? I should think you were
big enough by this time to look out for
yourself! ” said Granny Fox crossly,
as she came over to look at Reddy's
hurts.

Please don’t scold, please don’t,
Granny Fox,” begged Reddy, who was
beginning to feel sick to his stomach
as well as lame, and to smart dreadfully.

Granny Fox took one good look at
Reddy’s wounds, and knew right away
what had happened. She made Reddy
stretch himself out at full length and
then she went to work on him, washing
his* wounds with the greatest care and
binding them up. She was very gentle,
was old Granny Fox, as she touched the
sore places, but aU. the time she was at

34 adventures OF REDDY FOX

work her tongue flew, and that wasn’t
gentle at all Oh, my, no! There was
nothing gentle about that!

You see old Granny Fox is wise and
very, very sharp and shrewd. Just as
soon as she saw Reddy’s hurts, she knew
that they were made by shot from a gun,
and that meant that Reddy Fox had been
careless or he never, never would have
been where he was in danger of being shot.

'' I hope this will teach you a lesson! ”
said Granny Fox. What are your eyes
and your ears and your nose for? To
keep you out of just such trouble as this.

“ A little Fox must use his eyes
Or get some day a sad surprise.

“ A little Fox must use his ears
And know what makes each sound he hears.

“ A little Fox must use his nose
And try the wind where’er he goes.

A little Fox must use all three
To live to grow as old as me.

GRANNY TAKES CARE OF REDDY 35

“ Kow tell me all about it, Eeddy
Fox. This is summer and men donT
hunt foxes now. I don’t see how it
happens that Farmer Brown’s boy was
waiting for you with a gun.”

So Reddy Fox told Granny Fox all
about how he had run too near the old
tree trunk behind which Farmer Brown’s
boy had been hiding, but Reddy didn’t
teU how he had been trying to show off,
nor how in broad daylight he had stolen
the pet chicken of Farmer Brown’s boy.
You may be very sure he was very care-
ful not to mention that.

And so old Granny Fox puckered up
her brows and thought and thought,
trying to find some good reason why
Farmer Brown’s boy should have been
hunting in the summer time.

Caw, caw, caw! ” shouted Blacky
the Crow.

The face of Granny Fox cleared.

86 ADVENTUEES OF EEDDY FOX

''Blacky the Crow has been stealing,
and Farmer Brown’s boy was out after
him when Reddy came along,” said
Granny Fox, talking out loud to herself.

Reddy Fox grew very red in the face,
but he said never a word.

IX

PETEE EABBIT HEAES THE NEWS

J OHNNY CHUCK came running up
to the edge of the old briar patch
quite out of breath. You see he is
so round and fat and roly-poly that to
run makes him puff and blow. Johnny
Chuck^s eyes danced with excitement as
he peered into the old briar patch, trying
to see Peter Rabbit.

“Peter! Peter Rabbit! Oh, Peter!
he called. No one answered. Johnny
Chuck looked disappointed. It was the
middle of the morning, and he had
thought that Peter would surely be at
home then. He would try once more.
“Oh, you Peter Rabbit! ” he shouted

38 ADVENTUEES OF REDDY FOX

in such a high pitched voice that it was
almost a squeal.

'' What you want? ” asked a sleepy
voice from the middle of the briar patch.

Johnny Chuck's face lighted up.
“ Gome out here, Peter, where I can
look at you," cried Johnny.

“ Go away, Johnny Chuck I I'm
sleepy," said Peter Eabbit, and his voice
sounded just a wee bit ci:gss, for Peter
had been out all night, a habit which
Peter has.

I've got some news for you, Peter,"
called Johnny Chuck eagerly.

“ How do you know it's, news to me? "
asked Peter, and Johnny noticed that
his voice wasn't quite so cross.

‘‘ I’m almost sure it is, for I've Just
heard it myself, and I've hurried right
down here to tell you because I think
you'll like to know it," replied Johnny
Chuck.

PETER BilBBiT HEARS THE NEWS 39

^^Pooh!” said Peter Eabbit,
probably as old as the hills to me. You
folks who go to bed with the sun don^t
hear the news until it's old. What
is it? ”

It’s about Reddy Fox/’ began
Johnny Chuck, but Peter Rabbit inter-
rupted him.

‘^Shucks, Johnny Chuck! You are
slow! Wiry, it was all over the Green
Meadows last night how Reddy Fox had
been shot by Farmer Brown’s boy! ”
jeered Peter Rabbit. “ That’s no news.
And here you’ve waked me up to tell
me something I Imew before you went
to bed last night! Serves Reddy Fox
right. Hope he’ll be lame for a week/’
added Peter Rabbit.

“ He can’t walk at ah!” cried Johnny
Chuck in triumph, sure now that Peter
Rabbit hadn’t heard the news,
i Wiiat’s that? ” demanded Peter, and

40 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Johnny Chuck could hear him begin to
hop along one of his little private paths
in the heart of the old briar patch.
He loiew now that Peter Rabbit’s curi-
osity was aroused, and he smiled to him-
self.

In a few minutes Peter thrust a
sleepy-looking face out from the old
I ' briar patch and grinned rather sheepishly.

* = What was that you were saying about

Reddy Pox? ” he asked again.

“ IVe a good mind not to teU you, Mr.
ICnow-it-all,” exclaimed Johnny Chuck.

Oh, please, Johnny Chuck,” pleaded
Peter Rabbit.

Finally Johnny gave in. I said that
Reddy Fox can’t walk. Aren’t you
glad, Peter? ”

“ How do you know? ” asked Peter,
for Peter is very suspicious of Reddy
Fox, and has to watch out for his tricks
all the time.

PETER RABBIT HEARS THE NEWS 41

Jimmy Skunk told me. He was up
by Reddy^s liouse early this morning
and saw Reddy try to walk. He tried
and tried and couldn't. You won’t have
to watch out for Reddy Fox for some
time, Peter. Serves him right, doesn’t
it?”

“ Let’s go up and see if it really is
true! ” said Peter suddenly.

“ All right,” said Johnny Chuck, and
off they started.

X!

POOR REDDY FOX

P ETER RABBIT and Johnny Chuck
stole up the hill towards the home
of Reddy Fox. As they drew near,
they crept from one bunch of grass to
another and from bush to bush, stopping
behind each to look and listen. They
were not taking any chances. Johnny
Chuck was not much afraid of Reddy
Fox, for he had whipped him once, but
he was afraid of old Granny Fox. Peter
Rabbit was afraid of both. The nearer
he got to the home of Reddy Fox, the
more anxious and nervous he grew.
You see, Reddy Fox had played so many
tricks to try and catch Peter that Peter
was not quite sure that this was not

another trick. So he kept a sharp watch
in every direction, ready to run at the
least sign of danger.

When they had tiptoed and crawled
to a point where they could see the door-
step of the Fox home, Peter Rabbit and
Johnny Ghuck lay down in a clump of
bushes and watched. Pretty soon they
saw old Granny Fox come out. She
sniffed the wind and then she started off
at a quick run down the Lone Little
Path. Johnny Chuck gave a sigh of
relief, for he wasn't afraid of Reddy and
now he felt safe. But Peter Rabbit was
just as watchful as ever.

'^I’ve got to see Reddy for myself
before I’ll go a step nearer,^’ he whis-
pered.

Just then Johnny Chuck put a hand
on his lips and pointed with the other
hand. There was Reddy Fox crawling
out of his doorway into the sun. Peter

POOR REDDY FOX 43

44 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Rabbit leaned forward to see better.
Was Reddy Fox really so badly hurt,
or was he only pretending?

Reddy Fox crawled painfully out on
to his door-step. He tried to stand and
walk, but he couldn’t, because he was
too stiff and sore. So he Just crawled.
He didn’t Imow that any one was watch-
ing him, and with every movement he
made a face. That was because it hurt so.

Peter Rabbit, watching from the clump
of bushes, knew then that Reddy was not
pretending. He knew that he had noth-
ing, not the least little thing, to fear
from Reddy Fox. So Peter gave a whoop
of joy and sprang out into view.

Reddy looked up and tried to grin,
but made up a face of pain instead.
You see it hurt so to move.

I suppose you’re tickled to death to
see me like this,” he growled to Peter
Rabbit.

POOR EEDDY FOX

45

Now Peter had every reason to be |

glad, for Reddy Fox had tried his best |

to catch Peter Rabbit to give to old
Granny Fox for her dinner, and time and /

again Peter had just barely escaped.

So at first Peter Rabbit had whooped with :

joy. But as he saw how very helpless v

Reddy really was and how much pain J

he felt, suddenly Peter Rabbit’s big, I

soft eyes filled with tears of pity. j

He forgot all about the threats of ^ i

Reddy Fox and how Reddy had tried
to trick him. He forgot all about how
mean Reddy had been. ^ 4;

“ Poor Reddy Fox,” said Peter Rabbit.

'' Poor Reddy Fox.”

XI

GBANNY FOX RETUKNS

U P over the hill trotted old Granny
Fox. She was on her way home
with a tender young chicken
for Reddy Fox. Poor Reddy! Of course
it was his own fault, for he had been
showing off and he had been careless or
he never would have gone so near to the
old tree trunk behind which Farmer
Brown’s boy was hiding.

But old Granny Fox didn’t know this.
She never makes such mistakes herself.
Oh, my, no! So now, as she came up
over the hill to a place where she could
see her home, she laid the chicken down
and then she crept behind a little bush
and looked all over the Green Meadows

GRANNY FOX RETURNS 47

to see if the way was clear. She knew
that Bowser the Hound was chained up.
She had seen Farmer Bro’svn and Farmer
Brown’s boy hoeing in the cornfield, so
she had nothing to fear from them.

Looking over to her door-step, she
saw Reddy Fox lying in the sun, and then
she saw something else, something that
made her eyes flash and her teeth come
together with a snap. It was Peter
Rabbit sitting up very straight, not ten
feet from Reddy Fox.

“ So that’s that young scamp of a
Peter Rabbit whom Reddy was going
to catch for me when I was sick and
couldn’t! I’ll just show Reddy Fox how
easily it can be done, and he shall have
tender young rabbit with his chicken! ”
said Granny Fox to herself.

So first she studied and studied every
clump of grass and every bush behind
which she could creep. She saw that

48 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

she could get almost to where Peter
Rabbit was sitting and never once show
herself to him. Then she looked this
way and looked that way to make sure
that no one was watching her.

No one did she see on the Green
Meadows who was looking her way.
Then Granny Fox began to crawl from
one clump of grass to another and from
bush to bush. Sometimes she wriggled
along flat on her stomach. Little by
little she was drawing nearer and nearer
to Peter Rabbit.

Now with all her smartness old Granny
Fox had forgotten one thing. Yes, Sir,
she had forgotten one thing. Never once
had she thought to look up in the sky.
And there was OF Mistah Buzzard sail-
ing ’round and ’round and looking down
and seeing all that was going on below.

OF Mistah Buzzard is sharp. He knew
just what old Granny Fox was planning

GRANNY FOX RETURNS 49

to do — knew it as well as if he had read
her thoughts. His eyes twinkled.

“ Ah cert’nly can’t allow li’l’ Brer Rab-
bit to be hurt, Ah cert’nly can’t! ” mut-
tered or Mistah Buzzard, and chuckled.

Then he slanted his broad wings down-
ward and without a sound slid down out
of the sky till he was right behind Granny
Fox.

“ Do yo’ always crawl home. Granny
Fox? ” asked 01’ Alistah Buzzard.

Granny Fox was so startled, for she
hadn’t heard a sound, that she jumped
almost out of her skin. Of course Peter
Rabbit saw her then, and was off like a
shot.

Granny Fox showed aU her teeth.

I wish you would mind your own
business, Mistah Buzzard! ” she snarled.

'' Cert’nly, cert’nly. Ah sho’ly wiU! ”
replied 01’ Mistah Buzzard, and sailed
up into the blue, blue sky.

a?H€i LOST CHICKBlSr

W [EN old Granny Fox had laid
down the chicken she was bring-
ing home to Reddy Fox to try
to catch Peter Rabbit, she had meant to
go right back and get it as soon as she
had caught Peter. Now^ she saw Peter
going across the Green hleadows, lip-
perty-lipperty-lip, as fast as he could go.
She was so angry that she hopped up and
down. She tore up the grass and ground
her long, white teeth. She glared up at
or Mistah Buzzard, who had warned
Peter Rabbit, but all she could do was
to scold, and that didn't do her much
good, for in a few minutes OF Mistah
Buzzard was so far up in the blue, blue

THE LOST CHICKEN 51

sky that he couldn’t hear a word she
■was saying. My, my, but old Granny
Fox certainly was angry! If she hadn’t
been so angry she might have seen
Johnny Chuck lying as flat as he could
make himself behind a big clump of
grass,

Johnny Chuck was scared. Yes, in-
deed, Johnny Chuck vras dreadfully
scared. He had fought Heddy Fox and
whipped him, but he knew that old
Granny Fox would be too much for
him. So it :'v"as with great relief that
Johnny Chuck saw her stop tearing up
the grass and trot over to see how Reddy
Fox was getting along. Then Johnny
Chuck crept along until he was far enough
away to run. How he did run! He was
so fat and rolly-poly that he was all out
of breath when he reached home, and
so tired that he just dropped do'wn on his
door-step and panted.

52 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

“ Serves me right for having so much
curiosity,” said Johnny Chuck to him-
self.

Reddy Fox looked up as old Granny
Fox came hurrying home. He was weak
and very, very hungry. But he felt
sure that old Granny Fox would bring
bim something nice for his breakfast and
as soon as he heard her footsteps his
mouth began to water.

“ Did you bring me something nice,
Granny? ” asked Reddy Fox.

Now old Granny Fox had been so put
out by the scare she had had and by her
failure to catch Peter Rabbit that she
had forgotten all about the chicken she
had left up on the hill. When Reddy
spoke, she remembered it, and the thought
of having to go way back after it didn^t
improve her temper a bit.

^^No!” she snapped. haven’t!-—
You don’t deserve any breakfast any-

way. If you had any gumption” —
that’s the word Granny Fox used, gump-
tion — “ if you had any gumption at all,
you wouldn’t have gotten in trouble, and
could get your own breakfast.”

Reddy Fox didn’t know what gump-
tion meant, but he did know that he was
very, very himgiy, and do what he
would he couldn’t keep back a couple of
big tears of disappointment. Granny
Fox saw them.

There, there, Reddy! Don’t cry.
I’ve got a fine fat chicken for you up on
the hill, and I’ll rmi back and get it,”
said Granny Fox.

So off she started up the hill to the
place where she had left the chicken when
she started to try to catch Peter Rabbit.
When she got there, there wasn’t any
chicken. No, Sir, there was no chicken
at all — just a few feathers. Granny
Fox could hardly believe her own eyes.

THE LOST CHICKEN

54 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

She looked this way and she looked that
way, but there was no chicken, just a
few feathers. Old Granny Fox flew into
a greater rage than before.

XIII

GRANNY FOX CALLS JIMMY SKUNK NAMES

G ranny fox couidn’t believe

her ovm eyes. No, Sir, she
couldn’t believe her own eyes,
and she rubbed them two or three times
to make sure that she v/as seeing right.
That chicken certainly had disappeared,
and left no trace of where it had gone.

It was very queer. Old Granny Fox
sat down to think who would dare steal
anything from her. Then she walked in
a big circle with her nose to the ground,
sniffing and sniffing. What was she
doing that for? Why, to see if she could
find the tracks of any one who might
have stolen her chicken.

^^Aha!’’ exclaimed old Granny Fox,

66 adventures of REDDY FOX

starting to run along the top of the hill,
her nose to the ground. “Aha! I’ll
catch him this time! ”

In a few minutes she began to run more
slowly, and every two or three steps she
would look ahead. Suddenly her eyes
snapped, and she began to creep a,hnost
flat on her stomach, just as she had crept
for Peter Rabbit. But it wasn’t Peter
Rabbit this time. It was — whom do
you think? Jimmy Skunk! Yes, Sir, it
was Jimmy Skunk. He was slowly
ambhng along, for Jimmy Skunk never
hurries. Every big stick or stone that
he could move, he would pull over or
look under, for Jimmy Skunk was hunt-
ing for beetles.

Old Granny Fox watched him. “ He
must have a tremendous appetite to be
hunting for beetles after eating my
chicken! muttered she. Then she
jumped out in front of Jimmy Skunk,

GRANNY CALLS NAMES

iaer eyes snapping, her teeth showing
and the hair on her back standing on
end so as to make her look very fierce.
But all the time old Granny Fox took
the greatest care not to get too near to
Jimmy Skunk.

'^ Where’s my chicken? snarled old
Granny Fox, and she looked very, very
fierce.

Jimmy Skunk looked up as if very
much surprised, Hello, Granny Fox! ’’
he exclaimed. “ Have you lost a
chicken? ”

YouVe stolen it! You’re a thief,
Jimmy Skunk! ” snapped Granny Fox.

Words can never make black white;
Before you speak be sure you’re right,’'

said Jimmy Skunk. “ I’m not a thief.”

“You are!” cried Granny, working
herseK into a great rage. .

“I’m. not!”

58 adventures OE REDDY FOX
^^You areP'

AH the time Jimmy Skunk was chuck-
ling to himself, and the more he chuckled
the angrier grew old Granny Fox. And
all the time Jimmy Skunk kept moving
towards old Granny Fox and Granny
Fox kept backing away, for, like all the
other little meadow and forest people,
she has very great respect for Jimmy
Skunk’s little bag of scent.

Now, backing off that way, she couldn t
see where she was going, and the first
thing she knew she had backed into a
bramble bush. It tore her skirts and
scratched her legs. Ooch! ” cried old
Granny Fox.

“ Ha! ha! ha! ” laughed Jimmy Skunk.

That’s what you get for calling me
names.”

xrv

GRANNY FOX FINDS WHAT BECAME OF
THE CHICKEN

O LD GRANNY FOX was in a
terrible temper. Dear, dear, it
certainly was a dreadful temper!
Jimmy Skunk laughed at her, and that
made it worse. When he saw this,
Jimmy Skunk just rolled over and over
on the ground and shouted, he was so
tickled. Of course it wasn’t the least
bit nice of Jimmy Skunk, but you know
that Granny Fox had been calling Jimmy
a thief. Then Jimmy doesn’t like Granny
Fox anyway, nor do any of the other
little meadow and forest people, for
most of them are very much afraid of her.
When old Granny Fox finally got out

60 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

of the bramble bush, she didn’t stop to
say anything more to Jimmy Skunk, but
hurried away, muttering and grimbhng
and grinding her teeth.

Fox wasn’t pleasant to meet just the ,
and when Bobby Coon saw her coming,

he just thought it best to.get out of her

he climbed a tree.

that Bobby Coon was afraid
Granny Fox. Bless you, no!
Coon isn’t a bit afraid of her.
It was because he had a full stomach and
was feeling too good-natured and lazy

to quarrel.' • t i

“ Good mondng. Granny Fox. I hop
are feeling well this morning,” said
Coon, as old Granny Fox came
trotting under the tree he was sittmg m.

up and glared at him

WHAT BECAME OF THE CHICKEN 61

“ My goodness, how you have torn your
skirts! exclaimed Bobby Coon.

Old Granny Fox started to say some-
thing unpleasant. Then she changed her
mind and instead she sat down and told
Bobby Coon all her troubles. As she
talked, Bobby Coon kept ducking his
head behind a branch of the tree to
hide a smile. Finally Granny Fox no-
ticed it.

What do you keep ducking your head
for, Bobby Coon? '' she asked suspiciously.

I’m just looking to see if I can see
any feathers from that chicken,” replied
Bobby Coon gravely, though his eyes
were twinkling with mischief.

“ Well, do you? ” demanded old
Granny Fox.

And just then Bobby Coon did. They
were not on the ground, however, but
floating in the air. Bobby Goon leaned
out to see where they came from, and

62 ABVENTUEES OF REDDY FOX

Granny Fox turned to look too. Wiiat
do you think they saw? Why, sitting on
a tah, dead tree was Mr. Goshawk, just
swaUowing the last of Granny’s chicken.

‘'Thief! thief! • robber! robber!”
shrieked old Granny Fox.

But Mr. Goshawk said nothing, just
winked at Bobby Coon, puffed out his
feathers, and settled himself for a com-

EEDDY FOX HAS A VISITOR

H ardly was old Granny Fox out
of sight on her way to hunt for
the chicken she had left on the
hill, when XJnc’ Billy Possum came stroll-
ing along the Lone Little Path. Pie was
humming to himself, for he had just had
a good breakfast. One of the Merry
Little ' Breezes spied him and hurried
to meet him and teU him about how
Reddy Fox had been shot.

Line’ Billy listened, and the grin with
which he had greeted the Merry Little
Breeze grew into a broad smile.

Are yo^ all sure about that? he
asked.

The Merry Little Breeze was sure.

64 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

XJnc’ Billy Possum stopped for a few
minutes and considered.

‘^Serves that no ’count Reddy Fox
right,” chuckled Unc’ Billy. “ He done
spoil mah hunting at Farmer Browns
he raised such a fuss among the hens up
there. ’Tisn’t safe to go there any mo !
No, Suh, ’tisn’t safe, and it won’t be
saf^for a right smart while. Did yo’
say that Granny Fox is home? ”

The Merry Little Breeze hadn’t said
anything about Granny Fox, but now
remembered that she had gone up the

“ Ah believe Ah will just tote nay
sympathy over to Reddy Fox,”^ said
Unc’ Billy Possum, as he started in the
direction of Reddy Fox’s house. But
he made sure that old Granny Fox was
not at home before he showed himself.

Reddy Fox lay on his door-step. He
was sick and sore and stiff. Indeed, he

REBDY FOX HAS A VISITOE 65

was so stiff he couldn’t walk at all.
And he was weak — weak and hungry,
dreadfully hungry. When he heard foot-
steps, he thought old Granny Fox was
bringing bim the chicken after which she
had gone. He felt too ill to even turn
his head.

“ Did you get the chicken, Granny? ”
he asked weakly. No one answered,
'a say, did you get the chicken.
Granny? ” Reddy’s voice sounded a
little sharp and cross as he asked this
time.

Still there was no reply, and Reddy
began to be a little bit suspicious. He
turned over and raised his head to look.
Instead of old Granny Fox there was
Unc’ BiUy Possum grinning at him.

“ Smarty, Smarty is a thief I
Smarty, Smarty oame to grief!

Tried to show off just for fuu
Aizd ran too near a loaded gun.

66 ADVENTUEES OF EEDDY FOX

“ Yo’ alls oert’nly has got just what yo’
deserve, and Ah’m glad of it ! Ah nx
glad of it, Sub! ” said TJno’ BiUy Possum

severely.

An angry light came into the eyes
of Reddy Fox and made them an ngly
yellow for just a minute. But he felt
too sick to quarrel. Unc’ Billy Possum
saw this. He saw how Reddy was
really suffering, and down deep in his
heart XJnc’ Billy was truly sorry for
him. But he didn’t let Reddy know
it. No, indeed! He just pretended
to be tickled to death to see Reddy
Fox so helpless. He didn’t dare stay
long, for fear Granny Fox would re-
turn. So, after saying a few more
things to make Reddy feel uncomfort-
able, line’ Billy started off up the
Lone Little Path towards the Green
Forest.

“Too bad! Too bad!” he muttered

XVI

UNC^ BILLY POSSUM VISITS THE SMILING
POOL

L ittle joe ottbe and Biiiy

Mink were sitting on the Big
Rock in the Smiling Pool. Be-
cause they had nothing else to do, they
were planning mischief. Jerry Muskrat
was busy filling his new house with food
for the winter. He was too busy to get
into mischief.

Suddenly BiUy Mink put a finger on
his lips as a warning to Little Joe Otter
to keep perfectly still. Billyhs sharp eyes
had seen something moving over in the
bulrushes. Together he and Little Joe
Otter watched, ready to dive into the
Smiling Pool at the first sign of danger.

What are you doing over here? ” called Little Joe Otter,
Fage 69.

VISITS THE SMILING POOL 69

In a few minutes the rushes parted and
a sharp little old face peered out.
Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink each
sighed with relief and their eyes began
to dance.

“ Hi, Unc’ Billy Possum! ” shouted
Billy Mink.

A grin crept over the sharp little old
face peering out from the bulrushes.

Hi, yo’self ! ” he shouted, for it
really was Unc^ Billy Possum.

“ What are you doing over here? ”
called Little Joe Otter.

“ Just a looking 'round,” replied TJnc'
Billy Possum, his eyes twinkling.

“ Have you heard about Reddy Fox? ”
shouted Billy Mink.

“ Ah d6& jes' come from his home,”
replied IJnc' BiUy Possum.

How is he? ” asked Little Joe Otter.

“Po'ly, he sho'ly is poly,” replied
Unc’ Billy Possum, shaking his head

70 ADVENTURES OE REDDY FOX

soberly. Then Une’ Billy told BiHy
Mink and Little Joe Otter bow Reddy
Fox was so stiff and sore and sick that
he couldn’t get anything to eat for hhn-
self, and how old Granny Fox had lost a
chicken which she had caught for him.^
“Serves him right!” exclaimed BQly
Mink, who has never forgotten how
Reddy Fox fooled him and caught the
most fish once upon a time. ^ ^

Unc’ Billy nodded his head. “ Yo’
are right. Yo’ cert’nly are right. Yes,
Suh, Ah reckons yo’ are right. Was yo’
ever hungry, Billy Mink real hungry ?

asked Unc’ Billy Possum.

BiEy Mink thought of the time when
he went without his dinner because Mr.
Night Heron had gobbled it up, when
BiUy had left it in a temper. He nodded
his head.

, ■ “Ah was just a-wondering,” continued

Unc’ Billy Possum, “ how it would seem

VISITS THE SMILING POOL 71

to be right smart powerful hungry and
not be able to hunt fo’ anything to eat/^

For a few minutes no one said a word.
Then Billy Mink stood up and stretched.

Good-by,” said Billy Mink.

“ Where are you going so suddenly? ”
demanded Little Joe Otter.

I^m goingvto catch a fish and take it
up to Reddy Fox, if you must know! ”
snapped BiUy Minlc.

Good! ” cried Little Joe Otter. “ You
needn’t think that you, can have aU the
fun to yourself either, BiUy Mink. I’m
going with you.”

There was a splash in the Smiling
Pool, and TJnc’ Billy Possum was left
looking out on nothing but the Smiling
Pool and the Big Rock. He smiled to
himself as he turned away. Ah reckon
Ah’U sho’ have to do my share, too,”
said he. ’

And so it happened that when old

72 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Granny Fox finally readied home with
nothing but a little wood-mouse for
Reddy, she found him taking a nap, his
stomach as full as it could be. And just
a little way off were two fish tails and the
feathers of a little duck.

XVII

FAEMEE BEOWN’S BOY IS DETEEMINED

F armer BROWN^S boy bad made
up bis mind. When be shut bis
teeth with a click and drew his lips
together into a thin, straight line, those
who knew hun were sure that Farmer
Brownes boy had made up his mind.
That is just what he had done now. He
was cleaning his gun, and as he worked
he was thinking of his pet chicken and all
the other chickens that Reddy Fox had
taken.

I^m going to get that fox if it takes
all summer! ” exclaimed Farmer Brown’s
boy. “ I ought to have gotten him the
other day when I had a shot at him.

74 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Next time - — well, well see, Mr. Fox,
what will happen next time.”

Now some one heard Farmer Brown’s
boy, heard everything he said, though
Farmer Brown’s boy didn’t know it.
It was Unc’ Billy Possum, who was hiding
in the very pile of wood on which Farmer
Brown’s boy was sitting. Unc’ Billy
pricked up his ears. He didn’t like the
tone of voice in which Farmer Brown’s
boy spoke. He thought of Reddy Fox,
still so stiff and sore and lame that he
could hardly walk, all from the shot
which Farmer Brown’s boy thought had
missed.

There isn’t gwine to be any next
time. No, Suh, there isn’t gwine to be
any next time. Ah sho’ly doan love
Reddy Fox, but Ah can’t nohow let him
be shot again. Ah cert’nly. can’t!”
muttered Unc’ Billy Possum to himself.

Of course Farmer Brown’s boy didn’t

FARMER BROWN’S BOY 75

hear him. He didn^t hear him and he
didn’t see him when Unc’ Billy Possum
crept out of the back side of the wood-
pile and scurried under the hen-house.
He was too intent on his plan to catch
•Reddy Fox.

“ I’m just going to hunt over the Green
Meadows and through the Green Forest
until I get that fox! ” said Farmer Brown’s
boy, and as he said it he looked very
fierce, as if he really meant it. “ I’m
not going to have my chickens stolen
any more! No, Sir-e-e! That fox has
got a home somewhere on the Green
Meadows or in the Green Forest, and
I’m going to find it. Then watch out,
Mr. Fox!”

Farmer Brown’s boy whistled for Bow-
ser the Hound and started for the Green
Forest.

Unc’ Billy Possum poked his sharp,
little old face out from under ,the hen-

ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

house and watched them go. Usually
Unc’ Billy is grinning, but now there
wasn’t any grin, not the least sign of one.
Instead Unc’ BiUy Possum looked wor-
ried.

There goes that boy with a gun, and
nobody knows what’ll happen when it
goes off. If he can’t find Reddy Fox,
just as likeljr as not he’ll point it at some-
body else just fo’ fun. Ah hope he
doan meet up with mah oi’ woman or
any of mah li’l’ pickaninnies. Ah’m
plumb afraid of a boy with a gun, Ah am.
’Pears like he don’t have any sense. Ah
reckon Ah better be moving along right
smart and teU mah family to stay right
close in the ol’ hollow tree,” muttered
Unc’ Billy Possum, slipping out from his
hiding-place. Then Unc’ BiUy began to
run as fast as he could toward the Green
Forest.

XVIII

THE HUNT FOR REDDY FOX

“ Trouble, trouble, trouble, I feel it in the air;
Trouble, trouble, trouble, it’s round me every-
where.”

O LD GRANNY FOX muttered
this over and over, as she kept
walking around uneasily and snif-
fing the air.

“ I don’t see any trouble and I don’t
feel any trouble in the air. It’s all in
the sore places where I was shot,” said
Reddy Fox, who was stretched out on the
door-step of their home.

That’s because you haven’t got any
sense. When you do get some and learn
to look where you are going, you won’t
get shot from behind old tree trunks

78 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

and you will be able to feel trouble when
it is near, without waiting for it to show
itself. Now I feel trouble. You go
down into the house and stay there! ’’
Granny Fox stopped to test the air with
her nose, just as she had been testing it
for the last ten minutes.

“ I don’t want to go in,” whined Reddy
Fox. “ It’s nice and warm out here, and
I feel a lot better than when I am curled
up way down there in the dark.”

Old Granny Fox turned, and her eyes
blazed as she looked at Reddy Fox.
She didn’t say a word. She didn’t have
to. Reddy just crawled into his house,
muttering to himself. Granny stuck her
head in at the door.

“Don’t you come out until I come
back,” she ordered. Then she added:
“Farmer Brown’s boy is coming with
his gun.”

Reddy Fox shivered when he heard

THE HUNT FOE REDDY FOX 79

tkat. He didn't believe Granny Fox.
He thought she was saying that just
to scare him and make him stay inside.
But he shivered just the same. You see
he Imew now what it meant to be shot,
for he was still too stiff and sore to run,
all because he had gone too near Parmer
Brown's boy and his gun.

But old Granny Fox had not been
fooling when she told Reddy Fox that
Farmer Brown’s boy was coming with a
gun. It was true. He was coming
down the Lone Little Path, and ahead
of him was trotting Bowser the Hound.
How did old Granny Fox know it?
She just felt it! She didn't hear them,
she didn't see them, and she didn’t smell
them; she just felt that they were coming.
So as soon as she saw that Reddy Fox
had obeyed her, she was off like a little
red flash.

^Ht won't do to let them find our

80 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

home/’ said Granny to herself, as she
disappeared in the Green Forest.

First she hurried to a little point on
the hill where she could look down the
Lone Little Path. Just as she expected,
she saw Parmer Brown’s boy, and ahead
of him, sniffing at every bush and all
along the Lone Little Path, was Bowser
the Hound. Old Granny Fox waited
to see no more. She ran as fast as she
could in a big circle which brought her out
on the Lone Little Path below Farmer
Brown’s boy and Bowser the Hound,
but where they couldn’t see her, because
of a turn in the Lone Little Path. She
trotted down the Lone Little Path a very
little way and then turned into the woods
and hurried back up the hill, where she
sat down and waited. In a few minutes
she heard Bowser’s great voice. He had
smelled her track in the Lone Little
Path and was following it. Old Granny

THE HUNT FOE EEDDY FOX 81

Fox grinned. You see, she was planning
to lead them far, far away from the home
where Reddy Fox was hiding, for it
would not do to have them find it.

And Farmer Brown’s boy also grinned,
as he heard the voice of Bowser the
Hound.

I’ll hunt that fox until I get him,”
he said. You see he didn’t know any-
thing about old Granny Fox; he thought
Bowser was following Reddy Fox.

UNC' BILLY POSSUM GIVES WAKNUSTG

“T'T THAT’S the matter with you.

Y f Hnc’ Billy? You look as if
you had lost your last
frieiid.” It was Jimmy Skunk who
spoke.

Unc’ Billy Possum stopped short. He
had been hurrying so fast that he hadn’t
seen’’^Jimmy Skunk at all.

''Matter enufP, Suh! Matter enuff! ”
said Unc’ Billy Possum, when he could
get his breath. "Do you hear that
noise?”

" Sure, I hear that noise. That’s
only Bowser the Hound chasing old
Granny Fox. When she gets tired, she’ll
lose him,” replied Jimmy Skunk. " What

UNC’ BILLY POSSUM’S WARNING 83

are you worrying about Bowser the
Hound for? ”

“Bowser the Hound will have to
be smarter than he is now befo’ he
can worry me. Ah reckon/’ said Unc’
Billy Possum scornfully. “ It isn’t Bow-
ser the Hound; it’s Farmer Brown’s
boy and his gun!” Then Unc’ Billy
told Jimmy Skunk how he had been
hiding in the wood-pile at Farmer Brown’s
and had heard Farmer Brown’s boy say
that he was going to hunt over the
Green Meadows and through the Green
Forest until he got Beddy Fox.

• “ What of it? ” asked Jimmy Skunk.
“ If he gets Beddy Fox, so much the
better. Beddy always did make trouble
for other people. I don’t see what
you’re worrying about Beddy Fox for.
He’s big enough to take care of him-
self.”

“ Yo’ cert’nly are plumb slow in your

84 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

wits this morning, Jimmy Skunk, yo^
cert’nly are plumb slow! Supposing yo'
should meet up with Farmer Brown’s
boy with that gun in his hands and sup-
posing he had grown tired of watching fo’
Reddy Fox. That gun might go off,
Jimmy Skunk; it might go off when it was
pointing right straight at yo’l” said
Unc’ Billy Possum.

Jimmy Skunk looked serious. '' That’s
so, Unc’ Billy, that’s so I ” he said. Boys
with guns do get dreadfully careless,
dreadfully careless. They don’t seem
to think anything about the feelings of
those likely to get hurt when the gun
goes off. What was you thinking of do-
ing, Unc’ Billy?”

“ Just passing the word along so
everybody in the Green Meadows and in
the Green Forest will keep out of the
way of Farmer Brown’s boy,” replied
Unc’ Billy Possum,

Jerry Muskrat told Grandfather Frog. Page 85.

.1 Tk"! U-^*h.-Vri;bh

UNC/ BILLY POSSUM’S WARNING 85

Good idea, Unc’ BiUy ! I’H help you,”
said Jimmy Skunk.

So line’ Billy Possum went one way,
and Jimmy Skunk went another w^ay.
And every one they told hurried to tell
some one else. Happy Jack Squirrel
told Chatterer the Red Squirrel; Chat-
terer told Striped Chipmunk, and Striped
Chipmunk told Danny Meadow Mouse.
Danny Meadow Mouse told Johnny
Chuck; Johnny Chuck told Peter Rabbit;
Peter Rabbit told Jumper the Hare;
Jumper the Hare told Prickly Porky;
Prickly Porky told Bobby Coon; Bobby
Coon told Billy Mink; Billy Mink told
Little Joe Otter; Little Joe Otter told
Jerry Muskrat, and Jerry Muskrat told
Grandfather Frog. And everybody ha-
stened to hide from Farmer Brown’s boy
and his terrible gun.

By and by Farmer Brown’s boy no-
ticed how still it was in the Green Forest.

86 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Nowhere did he see or hear a bird. No-
where could he catch a glimpse of any-
body who wore fur.

'' That fox must have scared away all
the other animals and driven away all
the birds. I’ll get him! See if I don’t! ”
muttered Farmer Brown’s boy, and never
once guessed that they were hiding from
him.

XX

OLD GRANNY FOX MAXES A MISTAKE

O LD GRANNY FOX was running
through the overgrown old pas-
ture, way up back of Farmer
Brown’s. She was cross and tired and
hot, for it was a very warm day. Behind
her came Bowser the Hound, his nose in
Granny’s tracks, and making a great
noise with his big voice. Granny Fox
was cross because she -was tired. She
hadn’t done much running lately. She
didn’t mind running when the weather
was cold, but now — ‘ Oh, dear, it is

hot!” sighed old. Granny Fox, as she
stopped a minute to rest.

Now old Granny Fox is very, very
smart and very, very wise. She knows

88 ADVENTUEES OF REDDY FOX

all the tricks with which foxes fool those
who try to catch them. She Imewthat
she could fool Bowser the Hound and
puzzle him so that he wouldn’t be able
to follow her track at all. But she wasn’t
ready to do that yet. No, indeed! Old
Granny Fox was taking great care to
see that her tracks were easy to follow.
She wanted Bowser the Hound to follow
them, although it made her tired and hot
and cross. Why did she? Well, you
see she was trying to lead him, and with
him Farmer Brown’s boy, far, far away
from the home where Beddy Fox was
nursing the wounds that he had received,
when Farmer Brown’s boy had shot at
him a few days before.

“ Bow, wow, wow! ” roared Bowser
the Hound, following every twist and
turn which Granny Fox made, just as she
wanted him to.

Back and forth across the old pasture

OLD GEANNY FOX’S MISTAKE 89

and way up among the rocks on the edge
of the mountain Granny Fox led Bowser
the Hound. It was a long, long, long
way from the Green Meadows and the
Green Forest. Granny Fox had made it
a long way purposely. She was willing
to be tired herself if she could also tire
Bowser the Hound and Farmer Brown’s
bojT^, She wanted to tire them so that
when she finally puzzled and fooled them
and left them there, they would be too
tired to go back to the Green Meadows.

By and by Granny Fox came to a hole
in the ground, an old house that had once
belonged to her grandfather. Now this
old house had a back door hidden close
beside the hollow trunk of a fallen tree.
Old Granny Fox just ran through the
house, out the back door, through the
hollow tree, and then jumped into a
little brook where there was hardly
more than enough water to wet her feet

Bowser grew so excited that he made a
tremendous noise. At last he had found
where Granny Fox lived; at least he
thought he had. He was sure that she
was inside, for there were her fresh tracks
going inside and none coming out. Bow-
ser the Hound never once thought of
looking for a back door. If he had, he
wouldn't have been any the wiser, be-
cause, you know, old Granny Fox had
slipped away through the hollow tree
trunk.

Granny Fox grinned as she listened
to the terrible fuss Bowser was making.
Then, when she had rested a little, she
stole up on the hill where she could look
down and see the entrance to the old

OLD GRANNY FOrS MISTAKE 91

deserted house. She watched Bowser
digging and barking.

After a while a worried look crept into
the face of old Granny Fox.

“Where’s Farmer Brown’s boy? I
thought surely he would follow Bowser
the Hound,” she muttered.

XXI ■

EBDDY FOX DISOBEYS

W HEN old Granny Fox had sent
Heddy Fox into the house and
told him to stay there until
she returned home, he had not wanted
to mind, but he knew that Granny Fox
meant just what she said, and so he had
crawled slowly down the long hall to the
bedroom, way under ground.

Pretty soon Reddy Fox. heard a voice.
It was very faint, for you know Reddy
was in his bedroom way mider ground,
but he Imew it. He pricked up his
ears and listened. It was the voice
of Bowser the Hound, and Reddy knew
by the sound that Bowser was chasing
Granny Fox.

keddy fox disobeys 93

Reddy grinned. He 'wasn’t at all
worried about Granny Fox, not the least
little bit. He knew how smart she was
and that whenever she wanted to she
could get rid of Bowser the Hound.
Then a sudden thought popped into
Reddy’s head, and he grew sober.

“ Granny did feel trouble coming, just
as she said,” he thought.

Then Reddy Fox curled himself up
and tried to sleep. He intended to mind
and not put his little black nose outside
until old Granny Fox returned. But
somehow Reddy couldn’t get to sleep.
His bedroom was smal, and he was so
stiff and sore that he could not get com-
fortable. He twisted and turned and
fidgeted. The more he fidgeted, the
more uncomfortable he grew. He thought
of the warm smishine outside and how
comfortable he would be, stretched out
fun length on the door-step. It would

94 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

take the soreness out of his legs. Some-
thing must have happened to Granny
to keep her so long. If she had known
that she was going to be gone such a
long time, she wouldn’t have told him to
stay until she came back, thought Reddy.

By and by Reddy Fox crept a little
way up the long, dark hall. He could
just see the sunlight on the door-step.
Pretty soon he went a little bit nearer.
He wasn’t going to disobey old Granny
Fox. Oh, no! No, indeed! She had told
him to stay in the house until she re-
turned. She hadn’t said that he couldn’t
look out! Reddy crawled a little nearer
to the open door and the sunlight.

Granny Fox is getting old and timid.
Just as if my eyes aren’t as sharp as hers!
I’d like to see Farmer Brown’s boy get
near me when I am reaUy on the watch,”
said Reddy Fox to himself. And then
he crept a little nearer to the open door.

REDDY EOX DISOBEYS 95

How bright and warm and pleasant
it did look outside! Reddy just knew
that he would feel ever and ever so much
better if he could stretch out on the door-
step. He could hear Jenny Wren fussmg
and scolding at some one or something
and he wondered what it could be. He
crept iust a wee bit nearer. He could
hear Bowser’s voice, but it was so faint
that he had to prick up his sharp little
ears and listen with all his might to hear
it at all.

‘‘ Granny’s led them way off on the

mountain. Good old Granny! ” thought

i ^eddy Fox. Then he crawled right
up to the very doorway. He could still
hear Jenny Wren scolding and fussing.
'' What does ail her? ”

If it’s hot or if it’s cold,

Jenny Wren will always scold.

From morn till night the whole day long
Her limber tongue is going strong.

96 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

“ I’m going to find out wlmt it means/’
said Reddy, talking to himself.

Reddy Fox poked his head out and— -
looked straight into the freckled face
of Farmer Brown’s boy and the muzzle
of that dreadful gun!

XXII

ol’ mistah buzzard’s keen sight

O LD GRANNY FOX had thought
that when she fooled Bowser the
Hound up in the old pasture on
the edge of the mountain she could take
her time going home. She was tired
and hot and she had planned to pick out
the shadiest paths going back. She had
thought that Farmer Brown’s boy would
soon join Bowser the Hound, when
Bowser made such a fuss about having
found the old house into which Granny
Fox had run.

But Farmer Brown’s boy had not yet
appeared, and Granny Fox was getting
worried. Could it be that he had not
followed Bowser the Hound, after all?

98 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Granny Fox went out on a high point and
looked, but she could see nothing of
Farmer Brownes boy and his gun. Just
then or Mistah Buzzard came sailing
down out of the blue, blue sky and settled
himself on a tall, dead tree. Now Granny
Fox hadn’t forgotten how OF Mistah
Buzzard had warned Peter Rabbit just
as she was about to pounce on him, but
she suddenly thought that OF Mistah
Buzzard might be of use to her.

So old Granny Fox smoothed out her
skirts and walked over to the foot of the
tree where OF MistaK Buzzard sat.

“How do you do to-day, neighbor
Buzzard? ” inquired Granny Fox, smi-
ling up at OF Mistah Buzzard.

“Ah’m so as to be up and about,
thank yo’,” replied OF Mistah Buzzard,
spreading his wings out so that air
could blow imder them.

“ My! ” exclaimed old Granny Fox.

OL’ MISTAII BUZZARD 99

what splendid great wings you have,
Mistah Buzzard! It must be grand to be
able to fly. I suppose you can see a
great deal from way up there in the
blue, blue sky, Mistah Buzzard.”

or Mistah Buzzard felt flattered.

'' Yes,” said he, “ Ah can see all that’s
going on on the Green Meadows and
in the Green Forest.”

Oh, Mistah Buzzard, you don’t really
mean that! ” exclaimed old Granny Fox,
just as if she wanted to believe it, but
couldn’t.

‘‘ Yes, Ah can! ” replied 01’ Mistah
Buzzard.

'‘Really, Mistah Buzzard? Really?
Oh, I cm’t believe that your eyes are
so sharp as all that! Now I know where
Bowser the Hound is and where Farmer
Brown’s boy is, but I don’t believe you
can see them,” said Granny Fox.

or Mistah Buzzard said never a word

100 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

but spread Ms broad wings and in a
few minutes he had sailed up, up, up
until he looked like just a tiny speck to
old Granny Fox. Now old Granny Fox
had not told the truth when she said
she Imew where Farmer Brown's boy
was. She thought she would trick OF
Mistah Buzzard into telling her.

In a few minutes down came OF
Mistah Buzzard. '' Bowser the Hound is
up in the old back pasture," said he.

Right! " cried old Granny Fox, clap-
ping her hands. And where is Farmer
Brown's boy? "

Farmer Brown's boy is — " OF
Mistah Buzzard paused.

“ TOiere? Where? " asked Granny Fox,
so eagerly that OF Mistah Buzzard
looked at her sharply.

“Yo' said you knew, so what’s the
use of telling yo'? " said OF Mistah
Buzzard. Then he added; But if Ah

Do, *do tell me what you saw, Mistah Buzzard!
Granny Fox. Page lOt-

OV MISTAH BUZZAED 101

was yo’, Ah cert’nly would get home
right smart soon.”

Why? Do, do tell me what you saw,
Mistah Buzzard! ” begged Granny Fox.

But or Mistah Buzzard wouldn't say
another word, so old Granny Fox started
for home as fast as she could run.

‘'Oh, dear, I do hope Beddy Fox
minded me and stayed in the house,
she muttered.

XXIII

GEANNY FOX HAS A TEEEIBLE SCAEE

O LD GRANNY FOX felt her heart
sink way down to her toes, for
she felt sure OF Mistah Buzzard
had seen Farmer Brown’s boy and his
gun over near the house where Reddy
Fox was' nursing his wounds, or he
wouldn’t have advised her to hurry
home. She was already very tired and
hot from the long run to lead Bowser
the Hound away from the Green Mead-
ows. She had thought to walk home
along shady paths and cool off, but now
she must rxm faster than ever, for she
must know if Farmer Brown’s boy had
found her house.

• ‘‘ It’s lucky I told Reddy Fox to go

GRANNY FOX HAS A SCARE 103

and not come out till I returned;
^ery lucky I did that ” thought
ly Fox as she ran. Presently she
. voices singing. They seemed to be
tree-tops over her head.

Happily we dance and play
All the livelong sunny day I
Happily we run and race^ ^
And win or lose with smilii

looked up. Just as she expectea, sne
saw the Merry Little Breezes of Old
Mother West Wind playing among the
leaves. Just then one of them looked

down and saw her.

'‘There’s old Granny Fox! Just see
how hot and tired she looks. Let’s go
down and cool her off! ” shouted the
Merry Little Breeze.

In a flash they were aU down out of
the tree-tops and dancing arormd old

104 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Granny Fox, cooling her off. Of course
Granny Fox kept right on running. She
was too worried not to. But the hlerry
Little Breezes kept right beside her, and
it was not nearly as hard running now as
it had been.

Have you seen Farmer Brown\s
boy?’’ panted Granny Fox.

“ Oh, yes! We saw him just a little
while ago over near your house, Granny
Fox. We pulled his hat off, just to hear
him scold,” shouted the Merry Little
Breezes, and then they tickled and
laughed as if they had had a good time
with Farmer Brown’s boy.

But old Granny Fox didn’t laugh —
oh, my, no, indeed! Her heart went
lower still, and she did her best to run
faster. Pretty soon she came out on the
top of the hill where she could look, and
then it seemed as if her heart came right
up in her mouth and stopped beating.

GRANNY FOX HAS A SCARE 105

Her GyGS popped alinost out of her head.
There was Farmer Brown’s boy standing
right in front of the door of her home.
And while she was watching, what should
Reddy Fox do but stick his head out of
the door.

Old Granny' Fox saw the gun of
Farmer Brown’s boy pointed right at
Reddy and she clapped both hands over
her eyes to shut out the dreadful sight.
Then she waited for the bang of the
gun. It didn’t come. Then Granny
peeped through her fingers. Farmer
Brown’s boy was still there, but Reddy
Fox had disappeared inside the house.

Granny Fox sighed in relief. It had
been a terrible scare, the worst she could
remember.

XXIV

GRANNY AND REDDY HAVE TO MOVE

“ T DON'T want to move/' whined
I Reddy Fox, Fm too sore to
walk."

Old Granny Fox gave him a shove.
You go along and do as I say! " she
snapped. If you had minded me, we
wouldn't have to move. It's all your own
^ault. The wonder is that you weren't
killed when you poked your head out
right in front of Farmer Brown's boy.
Now iAiat he knows where we live, he will
give us no peace. Move along lively now!
This is the best home I have ever had
and now I've got to leave it. Oh, dear!
Oh, dear! "

Reddy Fox hobbled along up the long

GRANNY AND REDDY MOVE 107

hall and out the front door. He was
walking on three legs, and at every step
he made up a face, because, you know,
it hurt so to walk.

The little stars, looking down from
the sky, saw Reddy Fox limp out of the
door of the house he had lived in so
long, and right behind him came old
Granny Fox. Granny sighed and wiped
away a tear, as she said good-by to her
old home. Reddy Fox was thinking too
much of his own troubles to notice how
badly Granny Fox was feeling. Every
few steps he had to sit down and rest,
because it hurt him so to walk,

“I don’t see the use of moving to-
night, an;^wv'ay. It would be a lot easier
and pleasanter when the sun is shining.
This night air makes me so stiff that I
know I never will get over it,” grumbled
Reddy Fox.

Old Granny Fox listened to him for

108 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

a while and then she lost patience. Yes,
Sir, Granny Fox lost patience. She
boxed Reddy Fox first on one ear and
then on the other. Reddy began to
snivel.

“ Stop that! ” said Granny Fox sharply.
“ Do you want all the neighbors to
loiow that we have got to move?
They’ll find it out soon enough. Now
come along without any more fuss. If
you don’t, I’ll just go off and leave you to
shift for yourself. Then how will you
get anything to eat? ”

Reddy Fox wiped his eyes on his coat
sleeve and hobbled along as best he could.
Granny Fox would run a little way
ahead to see that the way was safe and
then come back for Reddy. Poor Reddy.
He did his best not to complain, but
it was such hard work. And somehow
Reddy Fox didn’t believe that it was at
aU necessary. He had been terribly fright-

GRANNY AND EEDDY MOVE - 109

ened when he had disobeyed Granny
Fox that afternoon and put his head out
of the door, only to look right into the
freclded face of Farmer Brown’s boy.
He had ducked back out of sight again

too quickly for Farmer Brown’s boy to
shoot, and now he couldn’t see why old
Granny Fox wanted to move that very
night.

She’s getting old. She’s getting old
and timid and fussy,” muttered Reddy
Fox, as he hobbled along behind her.

It seemed to Reddy as if they had
wallted miles and miles. He reaUy
thought that they had been walking
nearly all night when old Granny Fox
stopped in front of the worst-looking
old fox house Reddy had ever seen.
“ Here we are! ” said she.

“ What! Are we going to live in that
thing? ” cried Reddy. “ It isn’t fit for
any respectable fox to put his nose into.

110 ADVENTUEES OF EEDDY FOX

It is where I was born! snapped old
Granny Fox. If you want to keep
out of harm's way, don't go to putting
on airs now.

Who scorns the simple things of life
And tilts his nose at all he sees,

Is almost sure to feel the laiife
Of want cut through his pleasant ease.

^'Now don't let me hear another word
from you, but get inside at once! "
Reddy Fox didn't quite understand
all Granny Fox said, but he Imew when
she was to be obeyed and so he crawled
gingerly through the broken-down door-
way.

XXV

PETER RABBIT MAKES A DISCOVERY

H ardly had jolly; round; red Mr.
Sun thrown off his nightcap
and come out from his home
behind the Purple Hills for his daily

climb up in the blue, blue sky, when
Fanner Brown’s boy started down the
Lone Little Path through the Green
Forest.

Peter Rabbit, who had been out all
night and w^as just then on his way
home, saw him. Peter stopped and sat
up to rub his eyes and look again. He
wasn’t quite sure that he had seen aright
the first time. But he had. There
was Fanner Brown’s boy, sure enough.

112 APVENTUilES OF REDDY FOX

and at Ms heels trotted Bowser the
Hound.

Peter Rabbit rubbed his eyes once
more and wrinkled up his eyebrows.
Farmer Brown’s boy certainly had a
gun over one shoulder and a spade over
the other. Where could he be going down
the Lone Little Path with a spade?
Farmer Brown’s garden certainly was
not in that direction. Peter watched him
out of sight and then he hurried down
to the Green Meadows to tell Johnny
Chuck what he had seen. My, how
Peter’s long legs did fly! He was so
excited that he had forgotten how sleepy
he had felt a few minutes before.

Half way down to Johnny Chuck’s
house, Peter Rabbit almost ran plump
into Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk,
who had been quarreling and were calling
each other names. They stopped when
tke^’' saw Peter Rabbit,

PETER MAKES A DISCOVERY 113

“ Peter Rabbit runs away

Prom his shadder, so they say.

Peter, Peter, what a sight!

Tell us why this sudden fright,”

shouted Bobby Coon.

Peter Babbit stopped short. Indeed,
he stopped so short that he almost turned
a somersault. “ Saj^,” he panted, “ I’ve
just seen Farmer Brown’s boy.”

^'You don’t say so! ” said Jimmy
Skunk, pretending to be very much
surprised. “You don’t say so! Why,
now I think of it, I believe I’ve seen
Farmer Brown’s boy a few times my-
self.’^

Peter Babbit made up a good-natured
face at Jimmy Skunk and then he told
all about how he had seen Farmer
Brown’s boy with gun and spade and
Bowper the Hound going down the Lone
Little Path. “ You know there isn’t any
garden down that way,” he concluded.

114 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

Bobby Coon^s face wore a sober look.
Yes, Sir, all the fun was gone from Bobby
Coon’s face.

“What’s the matter? ” asked Jimmy
Skunk.

“ I was just thinldng that Reddy Fox
lives over in that direction and he is
so stiff that he cannot run,” replied Bobby
Coon.

Jimmy Skunk hitched up his trousers
and started toward the Lone Little
Path* “ Come on! ” said he. “ Let’s
follow him and see what he is about.”

Bobby Coon followed at once, but
Peter Rabbit said he would hurry over
and get Johnny Chuck and then join
the others.

All this time Farmer Brown’s boy had
been hurrying down the Lone Little
Path to the home old Granny Fox and
Reddy Fox had moved out of the night
before. Of course he didn’t know that

PETER MAKES A EUSCOVERY 115

tliey had moved. He put down his
gun, and by the time Jimmy Skunk and
Bobby Coon and Peter Rabbit and
Johnny Chuck reached a place where
they could peep out and see what was
going on, he had dug a great hole.

^tOh!” cried Peter Rabbit, “he’s
digging into the house of Reddy Pox
and he’ll catch poor Reddy! ”

XXVI

FARMEB brown’s BOY WORKS FOR
NOTHING

t I ’"^HE grass around the door-step
I of the house where Eeddy Fox
had always lived was all wet
with dew when Farmer Brown’s boy
laid his gun down, took off his coat,
rolled up his shirt sleeves and picked up
his spade. It was cool and beautiful
there on the edge of the Green Meadows.
Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had just begun
his long climb up in the blue, blue sky.
Mr. Redwing was singing for joy over in
the bulrushes on the edge of the Smiling
Pool. Yes, it was very beautiful, very
beautiful indeed. It didn’t seem as if
harm could come to any one on such a
beautiful morning.

But there was Farmer Brown’s boy.

WORKS FOR NOTHING 117

He had crawled on his hands and knees
without making a sound to get near
enough to the home of Reddy Fox to shoot
if Reddy was outside. But there was
no sign of Reddy, so Farmer Brown’s
boy had hopped up, and now he w-as
whistling as he began to dig. His freck-
led face looked good-natured. It didn’t
seem as if he could mean harm to any
one. But there lay the gun, and he was
working as if he meant to get to the very
bottom of Reddy Fox’s home!

Deeper and deeper grew the hole,
and bigger and bigger grew the pile of
sand which he threw out. He didn’t
know that any one was watching him,
except Bowser the Hound. He didn’t
see Johnny Chuck peeping from behind
a tall bunch of meadow grass, nor Peter
Rabbit peeping from behind a tree on the
edge of the Green Forest, nor Bobby
Coon looking from a safe hiding-place

118 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

in the top of that same tree. He didn’t
see Jimmy Skunk nor Unc’ Billy Possum
nor Happy Jack Squirrel nor Digger the
Badger. He didn’t see one of them, but
they saw him. They saw every shovel-
ful of sand that he threw and their
hearts went pit-a-pat as they watched, for
each one felt sure that something dread-
ful was going to happen to Reddy Fox.

Only or Mistah Buzzard knew better.
From way up high in the blue, blue sky
he could look down and see many things.
He could see all the little meadow and
forest people who were watching Farmer
Brown’s boy. The harder Farmer
Brown’s boy worked, the more 01’ Mis-
tah Buzzard chuckled to himself . What
was he laughing at? Why, peeping out
from behind an old fence comer, he
could see the sharp face of old Granny
Fox, and she was grinning. So ol’ Mistah
Buzzard knew Reddy Fox was safe.

WORKS FOR NOTHING 119

But the other little people of the Green
Forest and the Green Meadows didn’t
loiow that old Granny Fox and Eeddy
Fox had moved, and their faces grew
longer and longer as they watched
Farmer Brovni’s boy go deeper and
deeper into the ground.

Eeddy Fox has worried me almost
to death and would eat me if he could
catch me, but somehow things wouldn’t
be quite the same without him around.
Oh, dear, I don’t want him killed,”
moaned Peter Rabbit.

Perhaps he isn’t home,” said Jimmy
Skunk.

Of course he’s home; he’s so stiff and
sore he can hardly walk at all and has
to stay home,” replied Johnny Chuck.
‘‘ Hello, what’s the matter now? ”
Everybody looked. Farmer Brown’s
boy had climbed out of the hole. He
looked tired and cross. He rested for

120 ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

a few minutes, and as lie rested, he
scowled. Then he began to shovel the
sand back into the hole. He had reached
the bottom and found no one there.

“ Hurrah! ” shouted Peter Rabbit and
struck his heels together as he jumped up
in the air.

And the others were just as glad as
Peter Rabbit. Johnny Chuck was es-
pecially glad, for you see Farmer Brown’s
boy had once found Johnny’s snug home,
and Johnny had had to move as suddenly
as did Granny and Reddy Fox. Johnny
knew just how Reddy must feel, for he
had had many narrow escapes , in his
short life. You can read all about them
in the next book, The Adventures of
Johnny Chuck.

THE END,